Monthly Archives: November 2019

Have you got your health team?

Do you need a multi-disciplinary team to support you?⁠A multi-modal approach to health management is shown to deliver the most effective results when compared with single-modality treatment on its own. (Pieh, 2014) ⁠So what does this mean for you?⁠Well, it means that you may benefit from a combination of therapies by different therapists to treat your condition. Pain disorders and many other chronic, longstanding conditions we observe in clinic daily are being managed with a team of different health professionals. ⁠⁠

My introduction into nursing showed that best health outcomes relied on a multidisciplinary environment. When i diverted my career path into TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) we studied alongside Osteopaths and I found in student clinic that our patients achieved great results but when coupled with Osteopathic treatment for musculoskeletal conditions the results were even more outstanding. I then went on to studying psychotherapy and witnessed how essential delving into the psyche was sometimes essential alongside treatment of acupuncture. An internship in Jiangsu provincial hospital in China showed me at a deeper level how well integrative therapies of western and Chinese medicine, acupuncture, massage and rehabilitation work together to benefit the patient. In the Oncology department our patients would come for herbal medicine after receiving chemotherapeutic treatment and take the herbs to help deal with the side effects of their medications and to address nausea, fatigue and pain.

The mutual respect between the ‘Western’ medical Doctors and TCM Doctors was evident and the integration of both medical systems incredibly supportive to the patient. We’ve still got a long way to go in Australia before integrative health care becomes the ‘norm’, but there are signs of progress. The more our patients discuss success of treatment of adjunctive care and the more we can expand on positive research in our fields the support for allied and complementary health care will surely grow.

With so many people suffering with medical conditions that require medication a multidisciplinary approach can provide adjunctive health care treatment.

Currently at the clinic we work closely with GP’s to treat those with Fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue and many other chronic conditions that require medications that create a combination of side effects. Our services often help to manage conditions, provide relief of side effects of medications and improve the quality of one’s life and we so often see our patients being able to adjust and reduce medications under GP supervision.

A multimodality clinic, like Red Orchid Wellness Clinic, uniquely offers family and the community a combination of therapies, under one roof. We have extended our network beyond our clinic to collaborate with GP’s, Specialists, Physiotherapists, Psychiatrists, psychologists, Integrative GP’s, Pharmacists, Chiropractors and we often use these referral sources. We have an amazing local health-care community. This can help our patients feel supported that we seek out on an individual basis what suits their condition. As your condition changes over time the composition of the team may need to changed according to where you are at in your health.

Top tips from Stephanie

As we all enter the crazy part of the year, I am talking to all my patients about finishing the year feeling alive and NOT depleted. So many of us run ourselves into the ground so that by Christmas we barely have anything left to enjoy such a lovely time of the year. My top tips are:1. Schedule a weekly time for a health-focused activity. This is non-negotaible, and something different to what you do most of the year. It’s in place to shake up your normal habits of putting your health last when you are short for time. For me it is weekly acupuncture with Tanya, for some of my patients it is sitting down to write up a meal plan for the week, for others it might be a massage, a yoga class, or a walk along the beach. Every week, at least once.2. Hold back on nightly alcohol intake – minimise the burden on your liver, your nervous system, and your energy levels by keeping your alcohol intake to the weekends only (if at all!).3. Don’t feel obligated to say yes to every event that you are invited to. Self-preservation is the goal for the coming weeks. Unless you are spending time with people that you adore and doing something that lights you up then really think about how important it is to go. Will your attendance nourish you or deplete you?Finally, if feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, and stress are common for you this time of year, consider extra nervous system support through certain herbal preparations and mineral like magnesium. Discuss what best suits you with your naturopath or herbalist. Here’s to finishing the last year of the decade feeling nourished, alive, and well! Wishing you a happy summer, Steph .⁠⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠#healthandwellness#nowra#shoalhaven#southcoastNSW#health#complementarymedicine#wellnesswarrior#herbalmedicine#herbalremedy#herbs#herbalist#counselling#holistichealth#naturopath#wellness#nutrition#wellbeing#naturopathicmedicine#holistic#naturopathic @redcherry.photography

History of Osteopathy

What is the history of osteopathy?⁠ Osteopathy was created by Dr Andrew Taylor Still in 1874. In the late 1800s none of today’s⁠ miracle drugs, such as antibiotics, were available. Out of necessity, Dr. Still looked first to⁠ nature’s own ability to heal and through deep study of anatomy sort ways to access this⁠ ability within the body via manual medicine. Still saw this self-correcting potential as a⁠ cornerstone of his osteopathic philosophy. He envisioned a totally new medical system that⁠ acknowledges the relationships of the body, mind, emotions and spirit. What we now call the⁠biopsychosocial model.⁠

Still, a pioneer of his time, believed that the human body was to be treated as a whole, not as⁠ individual parts. He took into account his patients’ lifestyles, sleep, and diet before treating⁠ them. He believed in the inherent natural cycles of the body and that nurturing and⁠ supporting one’s function created changes on multiple levels.⁠ Dr. Still realised that optimal health is possible only when all of the tissues and cells of the⁠ body function together in harmonious motion.⁠